Don't leave it too late
by Bent Rose Standing Tall
Summary: John and Sherlock are called to a case that is personal to Leatrade but comes across something none of them expected. Some advice is given to Sherlock but will the combination of the effect of this case and the advice Sherlock recives be enough to convince him to take a momentous chance.


Sherlock was restless. I was worried. And we were both in a cab. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

10 minutes earlier

It was half past 9 as I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room carrying two cups of hot tea. I put one down on the table next to Sherlock's chair and one down on the table next to my chair. then I went to the bottom of the stairs that led to the third floor which housed both my bedroom and Sherlock's lab.

"Sherlock tea is ready" I yelled up the stairs

"I'll be right down, I'm just working on an experiment, I've got to get it to a point where I can leave it. I heard in reply.

Knowing Sherlock that could be anything from 2 to 20 minutes so I went back to the living room put a coaster on top of Sherlock's tea and a mug warmer around it to keep it warm. Then I sat in my chair and picked up a book.

I had been sitting for only a minute when Sherlock's phone went off on the mantelpiece, I was planning to ignore it when I realised it was playing I shot the sherif which was Sherlock's ringtone for lestrade. Knowing that it might be a case and Sherlock would be insufferable if he missed out on a good case I decided to answer it. I hadn't even had a chance to say hello when lestrades voice boomed out of the earpiece sounding both angry and very shaken.

"Sherlock I need you in the Anvilsmith district right away."

"It's john actually" I replied and considering that his tone was very out of character I added "what's wrong"

"Oh john. Good, your probably the better person to talk to thinking about it. I need a favour. My great aunt has just been found dead down an alley. she was discovered at 9. Her handbag is closed with the strap in her hand nothing appears stolen and there are no obvious wounds. She seems perfectly fine except, well dead! I was hoping Sherlock could come and take a look and tell me what she was doing here.

Apart from the man who phoned it in and me going up to her to check for a pulse Nobody has been on the scene yet not even the medical examiner, I rather want Sherlock here first. The thing is I can't hold them off much longer without a good reason and they don't seem to think waiting for Sherlock is a good reason. At the moment they are waiting out of respect for me but it won't be long before the M.E goes over my head and gets an order to proceed.

"I'll get Sherlock and we will be on our way"

"Thanks"

"Your welcome"

I hung up the phone. Took the teas back to the kitchen and transferred them to travel mugs, picked up my and Sherlock's coats and headed up the stairs to fetch Sherlock himself.

5 minutes later we were in on our way. Despite him being in the middle of the experiment I hadn't needed to convince Sherlock that the case was worthy of his attention. In fact I didn't even get as far as telling Sherlock any of the interesting points that lestrade had mentioned. As soon as he heard me say that the victim was a relative of lestrades he turned off the Bunsen burner left his lab bench took his coat and tea from me and bounded down the stairs throwing a

"Come along then Watson"

over his shoulder to me.

By the time I caught up with him at the curb he had already hailed a cab and was climbing in. I followed and gave the address to he driver.

We seem now to have come full circle and you are caught up on what led us to be in this cab. So do follow along with us the tale promises to get even more exiting.

As we hurtled across London I contemplated my companion and the speed with which he was rushing to lestrades aid. Tonight's reaction was Something most people would be surprised by due to the Fact that Sherlock had a knack of appearing utterly self adsorbed and as if he cared for nothing other tHan his own wishes and his own gratification.

However Despite what everybody thought and despite his harsh unsympathetic demeanour Sherlock is actually quite a caring person. He would do practically anything to help and protect those he cared about. A fact proven by the haste with which he acted tonight. The thing that made him appear callous and uncaring was the simple fact that there were very few people who Sherlock Holmes truly cared about.

My musing ended as We arrived at the scene in almost half the time it should have taken. Sherlock paid the driver and bounded out of the cab. He ducked under the police tape and headed straight over to the body barely glancing at les trade as he passed. I followed more slowly pausing next to Lestrade

"You got here quick I thought it would take some time to persuade him to come. He flat refused to be torn away from his experiments for the Robbery case this morning."

"Well Greg your one of the favoured few on Sherlock's people I care about list. There's not much he wouldn't do to help you on a personal level. As soon and I said that this woman was your aunt he came straight out"

"He's a good man at heart that Sherlock"

"Indeed he is"

I gave les trade a brief smile and a pat on the shoulder then ducked under the police tape and followed after Sherlock. when I reached him he was standing next to the body, "getting a feel for the scene" as he always put it.

He looked briefly at the body then walked around her and looked about. He focused for a moment at a flowerpot smashed on the ground then walked up to it and crouched down. It was a China decorative plant pot still containing a begonia.

"Look at this Watson" he said pointing to the pot. "the way it has smashed suggests it has fallen about one storey"

He looked up. Directly overhead was a fire escape a metal stairway with a landing at each storey. The structure was attached to the side of the tall building that made up one side of the alleyway

"I predict it came from the first landing of that fire escape. And if you look closer tell me what do you see"

"My word" I exclaimed, as I looked closely at the pot just as he had asked. "Paw prints in the spilt soil."

"Exactly. a set of paw prints caused by an animal landing after a fall. To be precise the prints are those of a felis catus otherwise known as a common house cat."

Sherlock stood up and turned towards les trade.

"How was you aunt discovered."

"A cat caused a disturbance on one of the fire escapes above. First floor I belive. The blasted thing squeezed out of a slightly open window and then Dived after a bat. The cat missed bat and instead knocked into that large flowerpot and sent it flying. The flowerpot fell to the ground over there and the cat followed. The owner found my aunt when he came out to the alley to retrieve the cat."

Sherlock nodded and went to stand by the body again. This time he scrutinised her clothes but still did not get close. Then he went over to her bag. Gently tugging it from her grip he opened it and peered inside.

After a minute of looking through the contents of the bag He pulled out what looked like a jewellery presentation box and opened it. He whistled gently and closed the case replacing it in her bag. I had not been able to see what was inside.

Then he pulled out what appeared to be a receipt studied it briefly and put it back.

Next he took out what seemed to be a pill bottle and read the label then he placed it back in her bag.

after that he pulled out a hip flask unscrewed the lid and sniffed. He glanced sideways at the woman wearing his your and idiot expression. I wondered briefly what had caused the look.

Sherlock put the lid back on the flask and put it back in her bag.

Then he paused, and a look of deep thought settled on his face. A minute later his expression turned to what I like to call his "could it possibly be" expression. He dropped the bag and dropped himself to the woman's side. He examined her closely. Her hands, her face, her neck, and finally her chest. I was just about to ask what he had deduced and what he was now looking for when he looked up

"Watson would you please join me down here"

I knelt the other side of the woman and looked at Sherlock expectantly.

"What is it"

"Don't call me crazy, but I think she's alive just barely."

Disbelief must have been evident In My face because Sherlock continued

"Look closely, please. I can't find any signs of life but I'm not a doctor. I have evidence for my theory but no time to explain it to you, your certainly the only one here who has the skills to be able to tell if she is alive or dead, and if she is alive we must act fast. But please be discrete, lestrade is watching us and if I'm wrong I don't want him upset further."

"Alright" I replied "let's have a good look"

I looked at the body. At first it seemed obvious that she was dead, her skin was a pale grey I gently touched her hand, it was icy cold. Surreptitiously I felt her wrist for a pulse; nothing. I was about about to say to Sherlock that she was dead for sure when I realised that Sherlock would have already performed theses tests. His theory must be such that she could be alive despite the lack of blood flow in her hands.

I looked closer at her head and chest and was flabagahsted. there was a tiny flush of pink on the part of her chest that was. Visible. So small that it took a doctors eye to recognise it, Her face was ice cold and there was no blood reaction to me pinchig her cheek but when I felt her femoral artery there was an almost imperceptible flutter of a pulse, I placed my hand flat in the Center of her rib cage and I could feel that her chest was rising and falling by the minutest of degrees. I looked up at Sherlock astounded

"My god your right Sherlock" I whispered "we need to call an ambulance immediately. She has already been outside for some time and to have appeared dead to the man with the cat she must be in a serious condition

"I quite agree but we cannot call just any ambulance"

He had looked up from her bag which he had gone back to going through whilest watching me. He took out his phone. He sent two texts typing lightning fast.

"Who were you textng" I asked.

"The first text was to a hospital across town" he replied. "I have requested an ambulance and given them a brief explanation of the woman's state, the things I have found the deductions I have made conclusions I have drawn and my theory on what has caused this woman's condition. I expect an ambulance here within 5 minutes to take her back to St Mary's hospital for treatment"

"St Mary's" I gasp "but they are the most expensive private hospital in London there's no way that this woman could afford care there. Nor could lestrade afford to pay for it. Besides I thought they were quite exclusive catering only to registered patients who had an account with them."

"Indeed you are right on every count That was he reason why I sent a second text. This woman's condition is rare, complicated and highly critical. she needs the expert care that only the doctors at St Mary's can provide if she is to have any hope of survival. Fortunately St Mary's hospital has been the hospital that my family always uses for some decades, we hold one of the oldest family accounts. The second text I sent was to Mycroft. He controls a very sizeable trust fund that my parents left me. They gave control of it to Mycroft some years ago however that is an explanation for another time. Regarding my text I have asked him to move sufficient money into my family's account at St. Mary's to treat Lestrade's a aunt. She will be cared for as a guest of my family at my expense."

"Right...ok" was all I could manage. Sherlock got up and strode over to Lestrade .


End file.
